By Cynthia Tufaro
Opinion Columnist

I’ll admit it; I was rooting for cardio equipment to be the senior class gift. No, not because I personally ever plan to use the Bates gym. On the rare times that I go with a friend, I spend forty-five minutes bouncing on the large rubber balls while they sweat on the stairmaster. In fact, I make a conscious effort to avoid cardio equipment. Clearly then, my preference for the cardio equipment was not made in self-interest.

I originally thought this was a good idea because it addressed the needs of the entire Bates community. Unlike a scholarship, which affects a single person, this gift would have had a much larger and far-reaching impact. Sure, the others out there like me, who consider the walk to Merrill the most cardio they will ever want, won’t have much need for the equipment. However, no gift is going to satisfy everyone. Of the options considered by the seniors, cardio equipment would have been enjoyed by the most amount of people. Maybe it is just me, but I had always felt that the senior gift should have a utilitarian purpose.

I was shocked when the senior class chose the Bobcat statue as their gift. I was quick to conclude that a statue served no function, benefited no one, and was an all-around dumb idea.

Luckily, I have good senior friends like Rosy Hely to put me in my place. She pointed out that the purpose of the senior gift is to give something to the College that commemorates that class. Alumni and parent donations can be used for things like cardio equipment or scholarships. However, the senior gift should be first and foremost about the seniors, the graduating class. I don’t think this means that the gift can’t also be purposeful. In fact, I hadn’t considered some of the ways that the bobcat statue does serve a function. It actually addresses a much greater problem than our insufficient gym: Bates pride.

Alumni surveys reveal that the majority reflect fondly on their experiences at Bates; and yet, we have a low participation level in alumni activities. Sports, many believe, are underemphasized at Bates to the point of hindering school spirit. Colleges with fraternities, sororities, and strong sport teams have much better success with alumni involvement. Take for example a school like the University of Texas. Not only do alumni contribute a lot of money to the university, but they also go back and visit, attend football games, and even make a point of hiring UT graduates. Almost all liberal arts colleges suffer from a lack of school spirit; Bates is not alone.

This year’s seniors are finding new and creative ways to build school pride. Class president Eduardo Crespo and Secretary Tanya Schwartz planned exclusively senior activities like Saturday nights in Old Port and Thursday nights at Boondoggles. Mike Lopez introduced a new section for the Bates Student, “Catching up with…” which features a new senior every week. All of these efforts have contributed to a more unified senior class. This, they hope, will translate into increased alumni participation after graduation.

The senior gift is an opportunity to say thank you to Bates College. For the first time, students may truly understand the importance of participation. It is imperative that every senior make a pledge. Not only for the obvious reasons, but also because participation rates are used by groups like US News and World Report as one of the factors in determining the overall ranking of Bates College.

The gift gives seniors a valuable experience in philanthropy. Whether it is cardio equipment or a bobcat statue, neither will benefit the graduating seniors; it is a gift for the future of Bates College. The tradition of giving back to the College begins with your contribution toward the senior class gift. It lays a foundation for future giving. Seniors are educated on the institution’s needs and the importance of their continued support. It the past few years the gap between Bates endowment and other NESCAC schools has grown. In response, Bates is more actively pursing alumni, beginning with graduating seniors.

A statue of our mascot, the bobcat, will remind students, faculty, and staff what it means to be a part of the Bates community. Ultimately the greatest reward of the Bates bobcat statue is its manifestation of class spirit. Hopefully this demonstration of school pride will be the real gift for Bates.


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